Warriors’ Steve Kerr calls NBA’s rest-related memo ‘smart’

Updated 5:25 pm, Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Steve Kerr, pregame in Dallas

Media: Connor Letourneau / San Francisco Chronicle

DALLAS — Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is supportive of a recent NBA memo that warned of “significant penalties” for teams that don’t provide adequate notice to the league, their opponent and media when planning to rest marquee players.

“I thought it was smart,” Kerr said 90 minutes before tip-off of Golden State’s Tuesday night game against the Mavericks. “This is something that every organization needs to partner together with the league and our broadcast partners to figure out what’s best for everybody. We all have the same interests at heart.”

Photo: Jim Mone, Associated Press

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Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr questions a call during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, March 10, 2017, in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves won 103-102. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) less

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr questions a call during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, March 10, 2017, in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves ... more

Photo: Jim Mone, Associated Press

Warriors’ Steve Kerr calls NBA’s rest-related memo ‘smart’

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Kerr received considerable attention March 11 for resting Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala in a nationally televised game against San Antonio. The move was made to give players a sufficient break at the end of an eight-city, 13-day stretch that included two cross-country trips.

On Monday, two days after the Cavaliers rested LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in a loss to the Clippers, NBA commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to team owners that called the practice of resting star players “an extremely significant issue” that will be a prime topic of discussion at the next NBA board of governors meeting April 6 in New York.

In the memo, Silver stressed that it is unacceptable for owners to be uninvolved in decision-making on this topic. The hope is that teams will be aware of how such rest-related decisions affect “fans and business partners” and “the perception of our game.”

“This is not a right-or-wrong issue,” said Kerr, whose team has won four consecutive games since he rested Curry, Thompson, Green and Iguodala against the Spurs. “It’s what we can do to best serve the league and best serve the players’ health.

“Is there a compromise? We’re already working on extending the season next year by seven to 10 days. I think that’s been very helpful. I think the broadcast partners in the league can probably pay closer attention when the schedule comes out next year. These are all things that we all have to work on.”

Though he admitted it’s unlikely, Kerr said that he “wouldn’t be opposed” to trimming the NBA’s 82-game regular season.

“I think even just going down to 75 games, I think that would make a dramatic difference in the schedule,” Kerr said. “Now, I don’t see that happening, because there’s money to be made for everybody, but I do think there’s a way for this to be remedied. Maybe not remedied, but I think it can be dramatically helped with what the league is working on next year.”

Heavy heart: Kerr is grieving for the family of former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who died Tuesday at age 77.

“The news of his death hit hard today,” said Kerr, who played for Krause’s Chicago teams for five seasons (1993-98). “It was a very sad day for everyone that worked with him. I was a part of the Bulls during those days, and of course the news hits hardest for his family.”